Tasting Notes:
The second brew in Sapporo’s Beer Surprise series is Shifuku no Koku. It was brewed with the concept of creating a “surprisingly delicious” beer. To do this, Sapporo chose an all malt recipe, increased the alcohol content, and incorporated Hallertau aroma hops.

Shifuku no Koku pours out a bright straw in the glass, and has a malty sweetness on the nose. A full bodied malty flavor strikes the lips and tip of the tongue on the first gulp and its strong alcohol covers the mid palate. On the back, hints of sweet corn come through amidst a licorice-like bitterness.

With this beer, Sapporo has chosen to stick with a bit more traditional style lager. It has a wonderful depth of flavor and just the right amount of bitterness to keep things interesting. The only downside for me, and it occurs a lot with Japanese beers over 6% ABV, is the taste of the alcohol. It over powers the malt and hops and detracts from the overall flavor. However, this second in the Beer Surprise series is a wonderful beer well worth the purchase.